Originally published at Fangoria.com on August 21, 2011
With a shocking ending that changes everything, B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: MONSTERS #2 (Dark Horse Comics) is definitely an issue comic book fans should buy. Liz Sherman, the firestarter, finds herself utterly alone after cult fanatics who need to sacrifice a human being to raise their demonic god kidnap her. In order to get away, Liz must burn them all back to hell!
After leaving the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Liz has become visibly distant an rebelliously antisocial. If anyone attempts to get close to her, Liz sadly realizes there’s the chance that she might accidentally kill them. Since she ran away from the only family she knows and turned her back on Abe Sapien, Liz is now living in a trailer park full of residents who are out on parole and have search warrants on them. She is completely surrounded by people who don’t want to be found, hiding from the rest of the world, just like her.
Liz’s secluded refuge is actually run by hillbilly cult fanatics, and a mother and son have set up an altar made up of chopped-up body parts. Because no one can call the police, Liz has to take matters into her own hands. But before she can, the cult members capture Liz, and the high priest of trash plans on using her as their sacrifice, ordering his cult to slit her throat and tear her limb from limb.
Even though she can freely escape from their clutches, Liz doesn’t want to use her uncanny powers. With just a snap of her fingers, Liz knows that she could destroy them all and watch their bodies burn to ashes. However, Liz isn’t interested in bringing death to these people. So, armed with a shotgun and a few shells, Liz must single-handedly take down the high priest and his entire cult.
B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: MONSTERS #2 is an exciting solo mission from writers Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Tyler Crook’s artwork does a good job of depicting Liz’s hard-edged and ambivalent facial expressions. She’s always fighting her personal demons, which is difficult to portray. Interestingly, Liz has the ultimate power, but she refuses to use it. Liz is on a search for inner peace, which is difficult for her to attain after so much loss. And while Liz is attempting to save others, something else is going on at the B.P.R.D. headquarters: An important character dies in this issue that will affect the entire mythology. For fans of the series, this story arc coincides with HELLBOY: THE FURY #3.
In a starring role, Liz Sherman takes control and fights back in B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: MONSTERS #2! But by keeping to herself, will Liz’s isolation be her downfall?
